Times Mirror Company#Broadcasting
{{Short description|American newspaper and print media publisher (1884-2000)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Times Mirror Company
| type = Public
| foundation = {{start date and age|1884}}
| defunct = {{end date and age|2000}}
| fate = acquired by Tribune Company
| location = Los Angeles, California
| hq_location_country = U.S.
| divisions = Newspaper Publishing, Professional Information, Consumer Media
| industry = Print media
| products = newspapers, magazines, book publishers
| revenue = $3.4 billion (1995)
}}
The Times Mirror Company was an American newspaper and print media publisher from 1884 until 2000.
History
It had its roots in the Mirror Printing and Binding House, a commercial printing company founded in 1873, and the Los Angeles Times, originally the Los Angeles Daily Times, which was first published in 1881 and printed by the company. The two operations were purchased and combined in 1884 to form the Times Mirror Company.{{Cite web|title = The Times Mirror Company – Lehman Brothers Collection|url = http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/lehman/company.html?company=the_times_mirror_company|website = library.hbs.edu|access-date = February 21, 2016}}
In 1960, Times Mirror acquired the New American Library (NAL) and later sold it in 1983 to Odyssey Partners, a private investing group, and Ira J. Hechler, a private investor.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/11/08/arts/times-mirror-is-selling-new-american-library.html|title=TIMES MIRROR IS SELLING NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY|last=Mcdowell|first=Edwin|date=November 8, 1983|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=April 16, 2016}} Times Mirror acquired the World Publishing Company in 1962.[https://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/29/obituaries/ben-zevin-dies-at-88-leader-of-world-publishing-company.html "Ben Zevin Dies at 88; Leader Of World Publishing Company,"] New York Times (December 29, 1984). via UPI. By this time, World Publishing was producing 12 million books a year,[http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=WPC "WORLD PUBLISHING CO."], The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Accessed March 3, 2017. one of only three American publishers to produce that much volume. In 1974, Times Mirror sold World Publishing to the U.K.-based Collins Publishers.
In 1967, the Times Mirror entered magazine publishing by acquiring Popular Science, Outdoor Life, Golf Magazine, and Ski Magazine. Times Mirror owned the Sporting News from 1977[http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/the-times-mirror-company-history/ "The Times Mirror Company History,"] Funding Universe. Accessed November 20, 2017. until 2000, when it was sold to Paul Allen's Vulcan Inc. In 1987, Times Mirror acquired Field & Stream, Yachting, Home Mechanix, and Skiing.
In 1983, Times Mirror owned not only the Los Angeles Times but also Newsday,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/03/13/archives/newsday-employes-seek-to-block-sale-of-the-paper.html|title=Newsday Employes [sic] Seek to Block Sale of the Paper|last=Raymont|first=Henry|date=March 13, 1970|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=February 15, 2010}} The Denver Post, The Dallas Times Herald, and the Hartford Courant. In 1986, Times Mirror bought A.S. Abell Company, owners of The Baltimore Sun, and as part of the sale, Gillett Communications bought out the broadcasting unit.{{Cite news|last1=Izadi|first1=Elahe|last2=Ellison|first2=Sarah|title=The battle for Tribune: Inside the campaign to find new owners for a legendary group of newspapers|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/the-battle-for-tribune-inside-the-campaign-to-find-new-owners-for-a-legendary-group-of-newspapers/2021/04/05/84e45cc6-9253-11eb-bb49-5cb2a95f4cec_story.html|access-date=April 6, 2021|issn=0190-8286}} That same year, Times Mirror acquired Broadcasting Publications Inc., parent company of broadcast trade magazine Broadcasting Magazine.{{cite web |title=Times Mirror Buys "Broadcasting" |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1986/BC-1986-12-01.pdf |website=World Radio History |publisher=Broadcasting Magazine |access-date=February 22, 2023 |page=43 |date=December 1, 1986}}
Times Mirror acquired Richard D. Irwin Inc. from Dow Jones & Company in 1988 to enter the textbook field.{{Cite news| issn = 0458-3035| pages = 1| last = Rosenstiel| first = Thomas B.| title = $135-Million Deal for Richard D. Irwin Inc. Times Mirror Will Buy Textbook Firm: [Home Edition]| work = Los Angeles Times| date = January 5, 1988| id ={{ProQuest|292738266}}}} Times Mirror acquired Wm. C. Brown Co. in 1992.{{Cite news| issn = 0458-3035| pages = 3| title = Times Mirror Buys Text Firm: [Home Edition]| work = Los Angeles Times| date = September 16, 1992| id ={{ProQuest|281871412}}}} Times Mirror sold its textbook operations to McGraw-Hill in 1996.{{cite news| title=Times Mirror in Two Deals To Bolster Legal Publisher| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/04/business/the-media-business-times-mirror-in-two-deals-to-bolster-legal-publisher.html | author = Iver Peterson | work = The New York Times | date = July 4, 1996 | access-date=September 1, 2009}}
Times Mirror also owned C.V. Mosby Company from 1967–1998, which published medical college textbooks and reference books; Harry N. Abrams — a publisher of art and photography books — from 1966–1997; legal publisher Matthew Bender (from 1963 until 1998{{Cite web| title = Matthew Bender ends chapter in area| work = Times Union| accessdate = March 6, 2021| date = January 15, 2013| url = https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Matthew-Bender-ends-chapter-in-area-4196467.php}}); and air navigation publisher Jeppesen (from 1961 until Times Mirror was acquired by the Tribune Company). Subsequent acquisitions, like The Baltimore Sun in 1986, expanded the company's portfolio.{{Cite news|title = $600-Million Sale: Times Mirror to Purchase Sun Papers in Baltimore|url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-05-29-mn-7915-story.html|newspaper = Los Angeles Times|date = May 29, 1986|access-date = February 21, 2016|issn = 0458-3035|language = en-US|first1 = JOHN J.|last1 = GOLDMAN|first2 = NANCY RIVERA|last2 = BROOKS}}
Times Mirror Co. was acquired by the Tribune Company in 2000.Jones, Tim. [https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/03/13/tribune-co-to-merge-with-times-mirror/ "Tribune Co. To Merge With Times Mirror,"] Chicago Tribune (March 13, 2000).{{Cite news|title = MULTIMEDIA DEAL: THE DEAL; Tribune Company Agrees to Buy Times Mirror|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/14/business/multimedia-deal-the-deal-tribune-company-agrees-to-buy-times-mirror.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = March 14, 2000|access-date = February 21, 2016|issn = 0362-4331|first1 = Felicity|last1 = Barringer|first2 = Laura M.|last2 = Holson}} After the acquisition, Tribune sold Jeppesen to Boeing and the former Times Mirror magazines to Time Inc.{{Cite web|date=August 16, 2000|work=Aviation Daily|title=Boeing To Acquire Jeppesen Sanderson For $1.5 Billion|access-date=November 2, 2019|url= https://aviationweek.com/awin/boeing-acquire-jeppesen-sanderson-15-billion}}{{Cite web|title=Time buys magazine unit|quote=Time Warner publishing division acquires Tribune's group for $475M|date=October 20, 2000|access-date=November 2, 2019|url= https://money.cnn.com/2000/10/20/deals/timesmirror/|website=CNN Money}}
Former newspapers
class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" | Name ! scope="col" | City ! scope="col" | Purchased ! scope="col" | Sold ! scope="col" | Fate |
Los Angeles Times
| Los Angeles, California || 1884 || 2000 || Acquired by Tribune Company |
---|
Newsday
| Long Island–Westchester, New York || 1970 || 2000 || Acquired by Tribune Company |
Dallas Times Herald
| Dallas, Texas || 1969 || 1986 || Sold to MediaNews Group |
The Advocate
| Stamford, Connecticut || 1977 || 2000 || Acquired by Tribune Company |
Greenwich Time
| Greenwich, Connecticut || 1977 || 2000 || Acquired by Tribune Company |
Hartford Courant
| Hartford, Connecticut || 1979 || 2000 || Acquired by Tribune Company |
The Denver Post
| Denver, Colorado || 1980 || 1987 || Sold to MediaNews Group |
The Morning Call
| Allentown, Pennsylvania || 1984 || 2000 || Acquired by Tribune Company |
The Baltimore Sun
| Baltimore, Maryland || 1986 || 2000 || Acquired by Tribune Company |
Broadcasting
{{Infobox company
| name = Times Mirror Broadcasting Company
| fate = Acquired by Argyle Television (sold to New World Communications in 1994)
| type = Private
| foundation = 1946; as KTTV, Inc.
| defunct = 1993
(inactive, 1963–1970)
| hq_location_city = Los Angeles, California
| hq_location_country = U.S.
| areas_served = United States
| industry = Media
| products = Broadcast and cable television
}}
The Times-Mirror Company was a founding owner of television station KTTV in Los Angeles, which opened in January 1949. It became that station's sole owner in 1951, after re-acquiring the minority shares it had sold to CBS in 1948. Times-Mirror also purchased a former motion picture studio, Nassour Studios, in Hollywood in 1950, which was then used to consolidate KTTV's operations. Later to be known as Metromedia Square (then the Fox Television Center), the studio was sold along with KTTV to Metromedia in 1963.
After a seven-year hiatus from the medium, the firm reactivated Times-Mirror Broadcasting Company with its 1970 purchase of the Dallas Times Herald and its radio and television stations, KRLD-AM-FM-TV in Dallas.{{cite news|last=Storch|first=Charles|title=Times Mirror Selling Dallas Times Herald|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/06/27/times-mirror-selling-dallas-times-herald/|access-date=June 26, 2012|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=June 27, 1986}} The Federal Communications Commission granted an exemption of its cross-ownership policy and allowed Times-Mirror to retain the newspaper and the television outlet, which was renamed KDFW-TV.
Times-Mirror Broadcasting later acquired KTBC-TV in Austin, Texas in 1973;[http://www.webcitation.org/6Z9oj5TPV?url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive%2DBC%2DIDX/72%2DOCR/1972%2D09%2D04%2DBC%2DOCR%2DPage%2D0006.pdf "Johnson family sells Austin TV."] Broadcasting, September 4, 1972, pg. 6. and in 1980 purchased a group of stations owned by Newhouse Newspapers: WAPI-TV (now WVTM-TV) in Birmingham, Alabama; KTVI in St. Louis; WSYR-TV (now WSTM-TV) in Syracuse, New York and its satellite station WSYE-TV (now WETM-TV) in Elmira, New York; and WTPA-TV (now WHTM-TV) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.[http://www.webcitation.org/6Z9oj5zuX?url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive%2DBC%2DIDX/80%2DOCR/1980%2D03%2D31%2DBC%2DOCR%2DPage%2D0030.pdf "Times Mirror's deal for Newhouse's TVs gets FCC approval."] Broadcasting, March 31, 1980, pg. 30. The company also entered the field of cable television, servicing the Phoenix and San Diego areas, amongst others. They were originally titled Times-Mirror Cable, and were later renamed to Dimension Cable Television. Similarly, they also attempted to enter the pay-TV market, with the Spotlight movie network; it wasn't successful and was quickly shut down. The cable systems were sold in the mid-1990s to Cox Communications.
Times-Mirror also pared its station group down, selling off the Syracuse, Elmira and Harrisburg properties in 1986, to Smith Broadcasting.[http://www.webcitation.org/6Z9oj83AU?url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive%2DBC%2DIDX/85%2DOCR/BC%2D1985%2D09%2D30%2DOCR%2DPage%2D0109.pdf "Changing hands: Proposed."] Broadcasting, September 30, 1985, pg. 109. Times-Mirror briefly held WMAR-TV in Baltimore and WRLH-TV in Richmond, which were acquired alongside the Baltimore Sun, but had to sell off those stations to Gillett Communications to appease FCC's cross-ownership rules.{{Cite news|date=June 2, 1986|title=Times Mirror buys Abell|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/86-OCR/BC-1986-06-02-OCR-Page-0041.pdf|access-date=September 6, 2021}}{{Cite news|date=July 14, 1986|title=Changing Hands|work=Broadcasting|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/86-OCR/BC-1986-07-14-OCR-Page-0064.pdf|access-date=September 6, 2021}} The remaining four outlets were packaged to a new upstart holding company, Argyle Television, in 1993.[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-03-22-OCR-Page-0007.pdf "Times Mirror set to sell four TV'."] {{Webarchive|url=https://www.webcitation.org/6Z9oj6aQs?url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-03-22-OCR-Page-0007.pdf |date=June 9, 2015 }} Broadcasting & Cable, March 22, 1993, pg. 7. These stations were acquired by New World Communications shortly thereafter and became key components in a sweeping shift of network-station affiliations which occurred between 1994–1995.
= Former stations =
class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Stations owned by Times Mirror Company ! scope="col" | Media market ! scope="col" | State/Prov. ! scope="col" | Station ! scope="col" | Purchased ! scope="col" | Sold ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes | |||
Birmingham | Alabama
! WVTM-TV | 1980 | 1993 | |
Los Angeles | California
! KTTV | 1949 | 1963 | {{efn|Co-owned with CBS until 1951 in a joint venture; 51 percent owned by Times-Mirror, 49 percent owned by CBS.}} |
Baltimore | Maryland
! WMAR-TV | 1986 | 1986 | |
St. Louis | Missouri
! KTVI | 1980 | 1993 | |
Elmira | rowspan="2" | New York
! WETM-TV | 1980 | 1986 | |
Syracuse
! WSTM-TV | 1980 | 1986 | ||
Harrisburg | Pennsylvania
! WHTM-TV | 1980 | 1986 | |
Austin | rowspan="2" | Texas
! KTBC-TV | 1973 | 1993 | |
Dallas–Fort Worth
! KDFW-TV | 1970 | 1993 | {{efn|Purchased along with KRLD-AM-FM as part of Times-Mirror's acquisition of the Dallas Times Herald. Times-Mirror sold the radio stations to comply with FCC cross-ownership restrictions.}} | |
Richmond | Virginia
! WRLH-TV | 1986 | 1986 |
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References
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Category:Defunct newspaper companies of the United States
Category:Defunct television broadcasting companies of the United States
Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 2000
Category:2000 mergers and acquisitions
Category: Companies formerly listed on the New York Stock Exchange